Ties That Bind
by Heero de Fanel
Summary: Set during the CSI/CSII timeskip. Elliot and Fie have a conversation about family one rainy night.


**Ties That Bind**

AN: Tried my hand at an Elliot/Fie shortfic. Much like Eight by Eight, I tried to split the difference between shipping and gen – feel free to take whichever interpretation tickles your fancy! Same universe as my M/E stories, if anyone's wondering.

* * *

Once upon a time, Elliot had found the rain soothing, an aural balm that slipped its way into his ears and lulled him to sleep with all the grace of a softly sung lullaby.

Right now, however, the sound of the constant downpour on the aged wood of the windmill was nothing but harsh and dissonant in the musician's ears, as if it were driving home just how oppressive their situation really was.

Had he been more cynical, he undoubtedly would have noted that, if nothing else, it was a fitting score for the scene.

The redhead opened his weary eyes and looked to the left, where he saw Machias in the same position that he had been all night; slumped against the wall, huddled in his thin blanket, with his features tight and drawn even in slumber. While the Vice President wasn't what one would have called easy-going even at the best of times, seeing him now called back to when Elliot and the others had first met him, and the reversion was jarring to see.

Not that Elliot would blame him, of course. The three of them had received the news about Governor Regnitz soon after they had discovered that Heimdallr had been well and truly occupied, and it was a testament to how far the young man had come that instead of a furious explosion, the bespectacled boy had forced a neutral expression onto his face, trying his hardest to keep calm for everyone involved.

 _"Traitor or not, it wouldn't be prudent for them to take drastic action now. I'm quite sure that as things stand, my father's safe. We need to focus on matters can control,"_ Machias had said then, with a practiced stoicism that failed to cloak the tremors beneath, and both the musician and the ex-jaeger politely pretended to ignore that the confidence they saw ended miles before his eyes.

Elliot could relate to his fear all too well. He knew that his own father was capable of taking care of himself – understatement of the year, quite frankly – but being an officer of Craig the Red's stature only meant that he would be a bigger target for the Alliance's forces, and by extension the Panzer Soldats that had been so daunting at Thors. Strong or not, legendary or not, Elliot was long past the days when he thought that the man was invincible.

And then there was Fiona. Elliot knew she was safe, but little more than that, and the uncertainty was killing him in too many ways to count.

Dangerous as his father's position was, the man was well acquainted with the realities of the front lines. He would be ready for whatever the Alliance threw at him. His sister, on the other hand, was about as naturally suited for combat as Elliot was… something that unnerved him greatly considering that the opposition had made no secret of their willingness to take prisoners.

 _"Goddess,"_ Elliot entreated for what probably would have been the hundredth time had he been keeping count, _"please let them both be all right."_

His words were heartfelt and sincere, and the redhead could only hope that if prayed hard enough, it would take his mind off the sad reality that right now praying was all he could do.

"… You should be trying to rest instead of trying to out-scowl Machias, you know. Your face is gonna stay that way if you're not careful."

The musician barely managed to fight off a startled gasp as his gaze swung to his right, and even in the darkness of the windmill he could just barely make out a pair of amber eyes blinking guilelessly at him.

"F-Fie," Elliot stammered, a little put out at getting caught so easily by the smaller girl… but then again, this *was* Fie they were talking about. "Sorry, I… I didn't know you were still awake."

The ex-jaeger shrugged with no small amount of nonchalance, her expression as cool as ever. "I'd be disappointed in myself if you did. Besides, between the three of us I'm probably the one most used to late hours. We got our shut-eye when we could in the corps, but it wasn't exactly unusual for us to go multiple nights with only quick naps to recharge."

He blinked twice, the connection between cause and effect coming together in his head with ease. _"Huh. I guess that explains why you sleep everywhere,"_ Elliot noted wryly, though he was far too smart to voice that particular thought aloud.

Much to his chagrin, however, the tiny smirk that flashed briefly across her lips spoke volumes to how transparent he was.

"Anyway," Fie said, moving a little closer to him and making sure to keep her voice down, "that's my excuse. What's yours? You looked pretty beat earlier… I'd have thought you'd have taken the time to crash as soon as possible."

Elliot could only give his classmate a weak shrug, feeling small and pitiful under the weight of her steady gaze, and not for the first time he found himself wishing that he had even an ounce of her strength. Fie always seemed so resolute and confident in spite of her stature, not once seeming like she was ever feeling the strain of their predicament. If not for her… well, maybe he and Machias might have been able to manage for a while, but there was no doubt her field experience was the best asset they had.

Fie had done so much already. She shouldn't have to put up with his problems on top of all that. Everyone had enough to worry about, anyway.

"It's the rain, I think," Elliot finally answered, waving a hand in the general direction of the roof. "Actually, it's kind of funny… when I younger, I always loved listening to the drops come down. It was kind of soothing, you know? Now though, it's like I start to doze off and then suddenly the sound just makes me pop back up. Weird how stuff like that works, isn't it?" he laughed, hoping that the darkness would be enough to camouflage the forced cheer in his expression.

Fie merely stared at him wordlessly for a few moments, her own expression inscrutable. The silence stretched on for a few more seconds before her lips curled up in the barest facsimile of a smile, taking Elliot by surprise.

"… H-Hey. What's so – "

"You know what's really kind of funny?" Fie cut him off, sounding a little amused. "I can tell you're not lying, but I can also tell you're totally trying to dodge the question. C'mon, Elliot. A little credit?" she said, looking more than a little satisfied when she saw her friend at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"… Sorry."

"Don't apologize," she replied with a shake of her head, her amber eyes shining in the dark. "I just kinda figured that if you're still up, glaring at absolutely nothing, there had to be a reason. I mean, you don't have to spill if you don't want to, but…"

The absurdity of the situation was not lost on the staff wielder in the slightest. Taking the time to have a heart to heart while on the run from the law sounded like something out of a cheap thriller from Micht's… if not also sounding like something Rean would do at the drop of a hat if he felt like it was warranted.

The boy's hand clenched into a fist, something not unnoticed by his companion. Yeah, Rean would have done exactly what Fie was doing now. Except Rean wasn't here, just like the rest of their friends.

… Goddess, he was never getting to sleep tonight, was he?

"Like I said," Fie started again, her eyes half lidded now, with a note of uncertainty to her voice so foreign it was jarring, "We can drop it if – "

"I'm just worried."

The ex-jaeger blinked twice at the admission before her entire countenance softened, the tension draining away and making Fie look like the fifteen year old she was.

"… Family?" she asked, the single word speaking volumes, and she sidled closer still when Elliot gave a slow, hesitant nod.

"It's just… it's so hard to not know," Elliot admitted, his voice small and not entirely sure why he had changed his stance on sharing but unable to stop himself. "It's easier when we're on the move, or trying to smuggle supplies back here, because that helps me not think about it. But when it's quiet like this…"

He was a little concerned about not being able to find the right words. Fortunately enough, the white haired girl did that for both of them… something that took them both by surprise.

"Your mind starts to wander, right? You start to wonder if they're all right, or if they're injured or unsafe. You start to dream about what your reunion will be like, how you'll react when you finally see them again face to face."

Elliot didn't know what to say to the ex-jaeger seemingly peering into his mind and effortlessly grasping the heart of the matter, laying it bare for the both of them to see. Even if he did, the sudden lump in his throat probably would have kept him from saying anything at all.

"Next," Fie continued, her words dropping to a whisper, "You start coming up with questions to ask them, getting ready to grill them about everything I just mentioned, and finally… that's when you need to stop, because anymore would be too much to take."

The redhead no longer trusted himself to speak at that point, and when his gaze caught hers and he saw the doubt and fear that mirrored his own, the boy cursed himself with every epithet he knew for being so caught up in his own pain that he had forgotten.

Fie had people she loved out there, too. Only instead of entertaining fantasies of rescue and liberation, she was probably dwelling on the inevitable time when she would have to back Class VII and cross swords with her comrades – her _family._

Of course she'd know what he was thinking, what Machias was probably thinking. How could she not?

As if she sensed Elliot's uncomfortable epiphany, she turned away, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Sorry," she chuckled, the sudden, hoarse noise taking the arts user off guard. "I-I didn't mean to get carried away like that."

"Fie – "

"And to think, I was trying to get *you* to talk…"

"Fie," Elliot repeated, reaching out to grasp her shoulder lightly, and though she stiffened at the initial contact the girl didn't pull away, the soothing warmth evidently a comfort to them both. "You don't have to apologize for something like that, okay? If anything, I should be saying sorry for overlooking that you're in the same boat we are, not to mention for earlier - "

"All right," Fie interrupted, holding up one finger. "Let's call off any and all apologies right now, because I get the feeling that if we get going we're gonna be at it all night."

Elliot smiled a little in spite of himself, and he was relieved to see the gunsword specialist return the favor a moment or two later. "Well… I don't think you're wrong. But hey, it might have helped us get to sleep!"

She wrinkled her nose a little at the quip, obviously disagreeing with the musician's assessment. "A boredom induced coma doesn't sound too restful to me, Elliot."

"Haha… maybe you're right. I'd take what I could get for now, though."

The conversation lapsed into silence, though without the oppressive weight from before. Flicking a glance at Fie, Elliot wasn't exactly surprised to see her looking pensive; clearly, she had a lot on her mind, just like he and Machias did.

Well, he doubted Machias was going to start sharing anytime soon - that wasn't his way. As for Fie, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Besides, when all was said and done… maybe they both needed this.

"I think it'd be interesting to meet them, someday. When this is all over, I mean."

Fie turned to him, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, and Elliot couldn't help but flush a little under the questioning gaze.

"… Huh."

"W-What? Is something wrong with that?"

She shrugged a little before reaching up for a yawn, every movement possessing an inordinate amount of feline-esque grace. "Not really. Just wondered if you had any particular reason, that's all."

Elliot frowned a little at that, his brow furrowed. "Nothing special. They seem like they'd be interesting people at the very least – I mean, they were jaegers just like you, right? And besides, odds are they're pretty good people."

The flat look she was giving him in response was reminiscent of Alisa at her finest, and the redhead wondered how the swordsman managed to never quail under the intimidating force. His Eight Leaves training must have been formidable indeed…

"Not that I'm complaining about you thinking the best of Xeno and Leo," Fie began mildly, "but I'm wondering how you managed to draw that last conclusion when the first time you heard of them was when they were backing the Noble Alliance during an attack on your hometown."

In retrospect, he probably should have given his next words more thought.

"Well, they must have been. They helped raise you, right? And you turned out pretty great. I mean, Class VII wouldn't be Class VII without you!" Elliot answered, a warm grin on his face.

Fie's lips moved a little at his declaration, but no sound came out.

"… Fie?" Elliot asked tremulously when the white haired girl turned away from him with her shoulders visibly shaking. "Did… did I say something wrong?"

It took the musician a few seconds to realize that she was choking back snickers and failing miserably, and when she looked back at him her eyes were as bright as he had even seen them, practically glimmering with mirth even in the darkness of the windmill.

"Nope, nothing wrong. I have to tell you this much, though; you always know just what to say, _Rean._ "

She didn't care what he said next, quite frankly. Sweet as it was, he had walked into that one.

"H-Hey!" he defended, his palms turning upward even as his face turned a deep scarlet, looking righteously indignant while fighting off the urge to groan. "That wasn't – "

"It totally was, Elliot. Been taking notes, have we?" she pressed, enjoying the boy's squirming a lot more than she should have been.

"T-That's not – " he stammered, before he took one look at her grin and sighed in defeat, conceding with a resigned sigh. "… All right, so maybe that sounded a lot less corny in my head than it did out loud. I still think I'm right, though."

"You are," Fie told him after taking a moment to compose herself, a little touch of melancholy having penetrated her mood now. "You are. They're good people, both of them, just like everyone else in the corps. Maybe the world saw them as just mercenaries, but they were always family to me."

Elliot's gaze softened, but he said nothing, content to simply listen.

"I'm going have a lot of questions for them, when I see them again. Family or not… I want to know _why_ – and I will," she continued, the steel in her words worthy of any jaeger, and as trite as it sounded just hearing her confidence seemed to fuel Elliot's own, the doubt that had been plaguing him for most of the night fading away in the face of her resolution.

"You know what? I believe you."

That earned him another smile – a bigger one this time, one that made him wish she would smile more often. It was nice to see.

"… You two better be ready, you know. They're gonna have questions for the both of you, too."

That got his attention, to say the least.

"W-What? Why?" a confused Elliot stammered, the prospect of being interrogated - because that's what jaegers *did* - by two battle hardened mercenaries not appealing to him one bit.

Fie shrugged. "They were always pretty... protective of me. And you're both guys. Do the math."

Unfair, much?

"Wait a second, doesn't the fact that you could beat up both of us without trying count for anything?!" the musician protested.

She didn't bother to hide her emerging smirk. "Nope."

The look on his face must have spoken volumes, because she reached out to pat him on the shoulder right after, the mischievous expression never leaving her face. "Oh, don't pretend like your family's not gonna do the same thing when you see them again. Machias and I aren't getting anything less than the third degree, and I think we all know it. I mean, your dad's super concerned about you, just look at the hugginess – "

"F-Fie!"

"And as for your sister… well, Aidios help anyone who she thinks might even look at you the wrong way. Between her and Craig the Red, I'd wager that Xeno and Leo have some serious competition."

"Fiiiiieeeeeeeee…" Elliot moaned, the blush having returned full force now (much to her satisfaction), and her being absolutely correct really wasn't helping that one bit.

"Sorry," she said in a tone that screamed she was anything but, "But facts are facts. Let's face it Elliot; when this entire mess is over, we're gonna have some seriously over-protective family members to deal with."

"I know." He paused, feeling lighter and more at ease than he had in quite a while. "I know. I wouldn't want them any other way, though."

A warm look. "Same. You're going to see them again, Elliot. Trust me."

"So will you, Fie," he assured her, green eyes locked with amber. "And when you do, you'll get the answers you're looking for, I'm sure of it."

"… Yeah."

A noise to his left made them both turn, and they saw Machias barely stirring from where he was sleeping, the boy not looking nearly as restful as one lost to slumber should have.

Elliot felt his chest clench at the sight, and beside him he could hear Fie let out a quiet sigh.

"… I wish we could do more for him."

"So do I, but his situation's a lot different from yours or mine," Fie noted sympathetically. "I think he's right, though; the Alliance isn't going to be pulling any rash moves with the governor of Heimdallr, not with them holding all the cards right now. It'd be stupid if they did… he's too big of a bargaining chip."

"I think he's right too. I don't think that's helping him any, though. I hope he'll be okay…"

"He will be. He may be a nervous wreck on the inside right now, but he'll hold it together," the ex-jaeger asserted, fixing the gunman with a resolute look.

"Agreed. It's a shame he wasn't awake, huh?"

"I don't think he'd have been up for sharing, Elliot," Fie replied, a thoughtful expression on her face now. "You know Machias. Too stubborn, that one."

Elliot chuckled. "Yeah, you're probably right. You never know, though… maybe if we caught him on the right day?"

Fie merely rolled her eyes at that, knowing that was wishful thinking at absolute best. "Maybe if there was a day where you looked like Rean and I looked like Emma."

The redhead blinked at that last bit, not quite sure if he had heard right. "What?"

"Never mind," she sighed with a quick shake of her head, leaning back against the wall of the windmill and looking like she was trying to relax. "We should probably try to get some sleep for now, at least. We can figure out what our next move is in the morning," she finished, punctuating her declaration with a loud yawn.

The staff wielder nodded, surprised at how heavy his eyes felt all of a sudden. Goddess, sleep sounded like paradise right about now… and unlike before, it actually seemed like it was within reach.

"That's a good idea," he agreed, blinking hard as his exhausted body began to give into the inevitable urge to shut down and rest.

His eyes had fluttered shut for only a few moments when he registered a warm weight settling against his shoulder, followed quickly by the sensation of fine strands of hair tickling his nose.

This was new, to be sure. Elliot couldn't say he minded.

"… S'okay?" Fie mumbled sleepily into the fabric of his coat, sounding less like an experienced soldier and more like a fellow teenager ready to pass out after a long, hard day of classes.

She would find no protest from him. They were both tired after all, and fortunately Machias had gotten much better about jumping to conclusions. This was more than fine… even if the gunman was likely to wake up first and see them.

"Yeah," he assented, shifting just the slightest bit so he could lean against her as well, and from this close distance it was simple for Elliot's trained ear to pick out Fie's breathing gradually transitioning into a soft, steady rhythm. "It's okay, Fie."

The girl mumbled something in reply – he wasn't sure if it had been 'cool', 'good night', 'thank you', or all of the above, but the redhead whispered 'thank you' back anyway, and was gratified when she gave him a light nudge before slumping back against him again, and aside from her peaceful breaths he heard nothing else.

There would be time to strategize, worry, and plan tomorrow. Right now, it was time to let the world go and abandon himself to the call of dreams.

Once upon a time, Elliot had found the rain soothing.

But as he slipped away into slumber's embrace, he knew that it wasn't the rain guiding him to sleep on this cold, windy night.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

He knew it was rude to stare, but really; he couldn't help it! What were you supposed to do when you woke up to a sight like this?

… Well, maybe if you were a degenerate like Rex you might grab a camera and start snapping photos while giggling wildly, but that was neither here nor there. Besides, it wasn't as if anything inappropriate had gone on.

(Probably).

Machias looked at the sleeping pair on the floor for another few moments before he decided to let them rest a little bit longer, sighing fondly all the while. It was still early anyway, and today was supposed to be more of an evaluation and planning session as opposed to them mobilizing a serious operation of any kind.

As he reached into his pocket for the paperback he had been reading, he couldn't help but send a smirk at the musician and the jaeger, a small ray of sunlight making its way past his dark mood.

What could he say? There was just something frighteningly appropriate about Fie being the big spoon.


End file.
